Evaluation of thin film composite membrane in production of ionically modified water applied for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract The purpose of the present study was the fabrication of a thin film composite (TFC) membrane made up of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), montmorillonite (MMT), and polyamide (PA), to produce an ionically modified water (called here smart water) - with higher concentrations of SO42− and Ca2+, and Mg2+ as well as lower concentrations of monovalent ions - to be applied for enhancing the oil recovery in a carbonate reservoir. The variations of three important parameters, including 1, 3-phenylenediamine (MPD) concentration, reaction time, and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) concentration in the interfacial polymerization process were investigated to attain an appropriate TFC membrane for smart water production. TFC membrane was characterized using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle test, zeta potential analysis, and tensile test. The ion rejection values of the selected proper TFC membrane for sulfate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and chloride were 90%, 43%, 67%, 6.5%, and 19%, respectively. Finally, the spontaneous imbibition test was performed to appraise the influence of smart water on oil recovery enhancement. The results indicated that the oil recovery was enhanced by about 14% using the smart water.